Take This Sideshow and All Its Freaks [Closed Social][PG-13]

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

A social between an Espada and one of the main powers in Soul Society's underworld. Takes place in an underground tunnel connected to the Squad 8 office. This tunnel travels a long distance, into an unsavory part of Rukongai. This tunnel is abandoned, at least allegedly, and hasn't been used in many, many years (again, allegedly). However, there is a lot of value in it for smuggling purposes.

Ryunosuke has the first post.

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Soul Society didn’t suit Ryunosuke. There was something about the air, about the reiatsu used to build the structures, about the style to it that just didn’t sit right with him. Maybe he’d spent too much time in Las Noches, but the sensibilities of the Gotei 13 just felt…wrong. On a deep and intrinsic level. And of course, the stark difference between Rukongai, where he had initially arrived, and the little bit of Soul Society that he’d checked ut before retreating, was shocking.

The Shinigami didn’t seem to really care about the suffering of people outside the Gotei 13, at least as long as the suffering was due to abject poverty and criminal activity rather than disease or invasion. Which was shitty, and ticked Ryunosuke off. But he had to move past that, and look professional. After all, he was here for business. Not Espada business, however, he wasn’t here to invade Soul Society and fuck shit up. No, he was here on personal business.

In life, Ryunosuke found that criminal contacts could make or break missions nine times out of ten. The ability to call upon assistance in times of trouble was a tool that any hitman could appreciate. Unfortunately, since Ryunosuke’s rebirth as a Hollow, he didn’t have much in the way of political clout. Of course, he had power within Las Noches, but his blood feud with Xcution kinda made it hard for him to find influence in the human world, which was a bother.

However, the underground of Soul Society was a heavy underutilized resource, and so Ryunosuke had sought out contacts. However, everywhere he’d looked, he could only find small time thugs, or people who were clearly in no position to make a deal. And so, he’d gotten somewhat violent. Seventeen broken bones and one coma later, a group of criminals had informed Ryunosuke that the person he’d want to talk to, the real power in the Soul Society underground, was actually a Captain of the Gotei 13, and the current head of the Kasumi’Oji clan.

And so Ryunosuke was now standing here in a secret access tunnel, after having sent the Captain of the Eight Division a message, waiting for her to show up. The tunnel was dark and damp, although at the present moment it was lit up my Ryunosuke’s reiatsu, which clung to the walls and ceiling, glowing in it’s silvery, mercurial manner. Touching it would feel slick, although not wet. It wouldn’t warm anything up, but at least things would be visible. He had held back when flexing, so that he wouldn’t alert the entire Gotei 13 to his presence, but anyone who entered the passage would instantly feel the presence of someone dark and powerful, waiting. Ryunosuke smiled, he had a good feeling about this meeting.

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

How unusual. This is what Taiho Kasumi’Oji, Captain of Squad 8 and Head of the Kasumi’Oji Clan, thought as she made her way down the “disused” tunnel which, oddly enough, ran from her office in the Squad 8 Barracks to the outer reaches of the Rukongai. Though it wasn’t immediately obvious to the layman, a skilled stone mason would be able to notice a very subtle, but quite meaningful feature of this tunnel. Most of the tunnel was made of old, roughly cut and well-worn stone, but one section, a comparatively small segment of the long tunnel and the vast labyrinth of passages it connected to, was almost brand new. The stones were freshly cut and laid in, with little sign of usage. It was from this newly added segment that Taiho immerged, stopping a second at the clear boundary between ancient smuggling tunnel, and new addition. It had cost her a small fortune to have this extension added, but it was well worth it in time and effort saved. After all, Taiho sat at the head of an immense criminal empire, and this new extension to the tunnels under Soul Society had greatly reduced the time and energy it took for her to meet with, and at times dispose of, her underlings.

However, Taiho had little time to pounder such things. She was, at that moment, on her way to a clandestine meeting with a potential business partner. That, in and of itself, wasn’t particularly odd; although she admitted that wasn’t as skilled at running an empire as her sister, Azumi, had been, Taiho had become accustomed to these meetings, and even felt she was getting the hang of things. What was odd, however, was the nature of this meeting. Apparently, the man she was to meet down here in the dark and the cold was an Arrancar, connected to Las Noches. If the message he had sent was to be believed, he was the Cuatra Espada. Taiho found this unusual, but seemed surprisingly, perhaps even alarmingly calm as she made her way down the tunnel. She moved like a ghost, her footsteps softer than the wingbeats of a moth. Taiho was very much a creature of darkness and deception; she could see well enough in the gloom to forego a light, and she kept her Reiatsu suppressed, to the point where only the most acute of sensors would be able to feel her approach.

However, the man she was to meet, this Ryunosuke, didn’t seem to be taking the same precautions. If anything, he flared his Reiatsu, broadcasting his position to anyone in the tunnels. Taiho, with her advanced Energy Sensory abilities, was able to glean much about the man from his Reiatsu, and paused a beat to remove a small notebook from within her massively oversize trench coat, and jot down notes. Even this action was silent, and would give away nothing of her location. The man was clearly an Arrancar, and an absurdly powerful one at that. Comparatively, his Reiatsu was roughly 33% more potent than her own, meaning his Hierro, the accursed natural defense of all Arrancar, would likely be too powerful for her to pierce easily. He would also almost certainly be outright immune to her Mind Hana, which might have put her at a disadvantage in a fight. However, his power came with a cost, it seemed. Taiho could easily feel the instability of his soul, the wild surges of his barely contained Reiatsu pressing against his very body, as if it were trying to escape. Would this impact the man in a fight, should one break out? Taiho didn’t know enough to say for certain, but felt it worth noting for future research.

However, Taiho wasn’t done reading the man just yet. With her heightened sensory abilities, granted by Azumi’s procedure to make Taiho a full-blooded Kasumi’Oji, Taiho was able to peer into the man’s soul. She couldn’t read his thoughts or anything of the like. Rather, she could see glimpses of who he was, and what made him tick. What she saw surprised her. He was, in many ways, like her: One who lived and breathed deception and violence, who used careful manipulations and the liberal application of destruction to get what he wanted. Like Taiho, Ryunosuke held a certain darkness in his heart, the implications of which were uncertain. Clearly, he was not a man to be trifled with. This is what Taiho gleaned from the man’s soul. She may have been able to find more by digging deeper, but for now she felt like she had enough to proceed down the tunnel. And so, she did.

Soon, she saw a silvery light in the tunnel ahead, emanating from the man she was to meet. He was surprisingly human in appearance, to the point where Taiho almost wondered if this where the right man. However, there could be no doubting that Reiatsu; the slick, liquid-metal feel of it, pressing out to fill as much space as possible was almost overwhelming. A weaker being would have been suffocated by it, but Taiho was able to wade through the dense field of energy without difficulty, and even managed to look good doing it, the light catching in her long blonde hair and reflecting darkly in her deep blue eyes. Despite being a creature of darkness, Taiho was, in fact, a very beautiful woman, and the glow of Ryunosuke Reiatsu only heighted this fact.

”Greetings. You must be Ryunosuke Hamada. As I am sure you are aware, my name is Taiho Kasumi’Oji. As a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen, and as the head of the Kasumi’Oji Clan, let me be the first to welcome you to Soul Society.” Taiho spoke in a cold, disinterested tone, devoid of emotion or feeling. Her voice wasn’t aggressive, or suspicious, as one might have expected it to be; it was empty. A cold shell of psychosis wrapped around Taiho’s heart, keeping it separate from the words she spoke. It was impossible to know what she was really thinking as she continued softly, in a voice as quiet as a shadows whisper, ”If you don’t mind, I would like to skip the pleasantries and get to business. What is it that you wanted to speak to me about, Arrancar?”

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

As Taiho approached him, Ryunosuke reached out with his own energy sensory. Although meager, he could pick up some baseline reiatsu properties, some baseline personality traits, all the basic cursory information that he needed. The fact that his soul was in perfect harmony with itself allowed him an ability known as Super-Empathy: he could align his aura to the aura of others in order to understand them better. And so, he reached out to Taiho.

And he felt nothing. It was like staring at a blank canvas and trying to find the art underneath. Taiho's personality was cold to him, but not in a directly disdainful way. In some ways, she reminded him of Kuroi. In other ways, she reminded him of himself, when he was hiding something. But the absolutely terrifying thing was that it didn't seem like Taiho was hiding anything. This was who she was. Maybe she deserved to be an Espada more than he did. He shoved that thought aside, as she started to talk, introducing herself.

"I was hoping to shoot the shit for a while, but I guess you're a busy lady." Ryunosuke shrugged, "I'm interested in a business opportunity. But before we get to that, I honestly think a trust building exercise is in order. A bit of quid pro quo, you know? I ask you a question, you ask me a question, I answer yours, you answer mine. And then, if we manage to exchange a few questions without killing each other, then I think we can get to the actual business side of things."

Ryunosuke assumed that she would say yes, if she didn't, he would simply walk away. He had no interest in dealing with someone who was incapable of giving out any information other than the mission details. After all, Ryunosuke wanted a contact, someone who he could call upon for information as well as potential mission assistance. On the other hand, he was willing to give some things up. "Right now, there's a rebel faction in Hueco Mundo. You might have heard of them. I want to know if Soul Society has any connections with them, or any plans to develop connections. If you give me that information, I can give you information on an upcoming attack."

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

Taiho listened intently as Ryunosuke started to talk, standing close enough for a conversation, but far enough away to avoid an attack, should one come. His mention of a business opportunity was certainly intriguing, but Taiho had never been one to take others at their word, and so refused to lower her guard by even an inch. However, that didn’t mean she couldn’t be sociable, and the Arrancar’s suggestion of exchanging information did seem reasonable. It was a common, if misguided, undertaking here in the dark world of organized crime, one which Taiho had participated in regularly, especially now that she was the Head of her family.

”An exchange of information? Yes…that would be preferable to an unnecessary fight. Very well. Ask your questions, and I will answer them to the best of my knowledge.” For once, that might not have been a lie. Taiho thrived on deception; she breathed falsehoods like a normal person breathed air. To her damaged, psychotic mind, lying was nothing; it was meaningless to willingly misinform another living being, especially if Taiho benefited from it in some way. Or at least, that’s what Taiho normally thought. Ordinarily, she would take this opportunity to feed her enemy falsehoods and misinformation, however, she questioned the reliability of that tactic in this circumstance. From what she had read of Ryunosuke’s soul, he was himself a highly deceptive individual. It was entirely possible that, while expressing a desire to build trust, he was anticipating that Taiho would lie to him. If that were the case, than Taiho’s own falsehoods could be used to glean information from her, defeating the purpose of lying in the first place.

On top of the that, Taiho also had to consider that Ryunosuke may actually be seeking some sort of partnership, or business transaction. The potential to have a contact, and thus influence, inside Las Noches was tempting, tempting enough that Taiho was willing to go around the other Captains of the Gotei Thirteen to see it happen. And not just for the potentially lucrative business possibilities of Las Noches and Hueco Mundo; having a source inside of Las Noches, even one who was at least ostensibly loyal to Kouhai, could prove to be a dramatic military asset. However, that same logic applied both ways; if Taiho were to entertain the notion of partnering with an Arrancar, she would have to be wary not reveal to much about the Seireitei in the process. And of course, Ryunosuke would likely be just as wary about revealing to much of Las Noches, meaning that Taiho had to question how useful this partnership might actually be.

In the end, it all depended on how well the two of them, Shinigami and Arrancar, sworn enemies linked by millennia of hatred and prejudice, could trust one another. And trust wasn’t fostered by deception. And so, as difficult as it was for her, Taiho decided that the best thing, for this moment, would be to answer truthfully. Or at least, to not blatantly lie. There might still be a few half-truths and omissions, but there would still be truth in her words. Probably.

”Ah. The Escudo organization. Yes, I have heard of them, though I have not personally encountered one of their number. To my knowledge, there has been no contact between them and the Gotei Thirteen. However, it is entirely possible that other Shinigami may have contacted them without my knowledge.” It was an honest answer, followed by an entirely feasible suggestion. After all, it was unlikely that Taiho knew everything that happened in Soul Society, and given the number of Shinigami active in the Gotei Thirteen, it was difficult to suggest that every individual was being monitored at every point in time. It was entirely possible that one of more Shinigami had, officially or otherwise, contacted Escudo, and that Taiho simply didn’t know about it.

”You mentioned an upcoming attack. I assume you mean one launched by Las Noches? Who will be involved, and what is there target?” The question was direct and to the point. Although many had suggested that the recent War against the Vandenreich had left Las Noches to weak to mount an attack, Taiho had long considered the possibility of a sneak attack. After all the Seireitei was even weaker and more vulnerable than Las Noches at the moment; it was only logical to strike now, while the Gotei Thirteen was weak. Thus, any information regarding the attack could prove vital in mitigating any possible damage.

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Alright, good, she was willing to make this work. Dealing with Shinigami couldn't be too tough. After all, he dealt with Kouhai-sama relatively well, right? And although the dude was powerful, and terrifying in ways that Ryunosuke couldn't even begin to explain, he was, at his core, a Shinigami. And one who had understood Soul Society quite well at one point in time. Plus, ultimately, Ryunosuke wasn't particularly worried about dealing with this woman. After all, in her heart, she was a criminal, just like Ryunosuke.

And just like a criminal, she seemed willing to make a deal. She didn't want to fight him, which was good, because Ryunosuke didn't want to fight her. Not yet, at least. There might come a time in the near future where the two would be forced to fight, but until that came around, he wasn't going to pick any fights with her. On some level, she reminded him of Kouhai in ways he couldn't begin to describe, ways that made him highly uncomfortable. So, her agreeing to make the deal was the best possible outcome.

But, the secret, that Taiho hadn't picked up on quite yet, was that Ryunosuke was willing to put his cards down on the table. Maybe not all his cards, but certainly more than most were willing to share. And he was willing to do this because he knew what things didn't matter. He could inform her that Kouhai was far more powerful now than he had been when he left Soul Society. Even if that was new information, them knowing it didn't help. He could tell her that at the moment that they were missing a Sexta, and the Exequias wasn't as strong as it had been before. And why was he willing to reveal such information?

Because it didn't matter.
Because regardless, Las Noches would crush Soul Society if it ever saw fit to.
Because Ryunosuke alone could kill anywhere from 2-4 captains on his own.
Because Sargon could take another 3.
Because Adalo and Kuroi were unstoppable, save for Sozen Kuchiki perhaps.

Ryunosuke was willing to give out information because it was like telling a starving man how to cook a feast: it didn't fucking help because the idiot didn't even have the ingredients to make literally anything. That's why he was fucking starving. And yet, Ryunosuke wouldn't tip his hand yet. He wouldn't give more information than he needed to. He'd save it for later, once Taiho started having doubts about the relationship. And then, and only then, would he start giving things out for free.

Ryunosuke was pretty good at lying, and was also fairly decent at telling when people were lying to him. It was in his nature as the Espada of Deception. And as Taiho spoke about the Escudo, he could tell she wasn't lying. She gave him the name, but tipped a bit of information that was absolutely critical: Soul Society hadn't talked with the Escudo yet, and had no plans to sanction any contact. Even beyond that, if people were in talks, they were hiding it. There wasn't a risk of the Escudo gaining an open alliance with Soul Society. Excellent.

And now, for the part where he gave information. He wasn't excited for this, but he knew it had to be done. His one hope was his answer wouldn't get him killed. "There is going to be an upcoming attack. There will be four attack members from Las Noches. The Tercera. The Cuarta. The Quinta. The Noveno. Of those four, three of them are Captain level threats. The target is Seireitei in general. There is no mission objective. Just slaughter and pain. Me telling you the date would be pointless, as the date of attack would be shifted if there was any indication that you might know that this attack was coming, and so I advise against spreading this information."

So far, he hadn't told a single lie. He'd been totally honest, and that might throw Taiho off. "While I've already given you more information than you likely deserve, I figure I'd wrap up some loose ends. First of all, in this fight, in order to preserve our relationship, I'm not going to attack you. I invite that you do the same for me. Both of us will be busy with other matters anyway, us fighting wouldn't significantly change the fight. Second, don't tell the others. If you do, do it subtly, in a way that might not cause them to fully realize it, but perhaps subconsciously be prepared. I trust that you are deceptive enough to do that. Telling the others directly will lead to some pointed questions, as well as most likely cause us to cancel our attack, or reschedule to a time where you are more vulnerable. I've given you an opportunity to save lives, don't waste it by being hamfisted."

His voice was smooth, as if he had known what he was going to say, but there was a tinge of hesitancy to it. Ryunosuke knew that what he was doing was treason, although it was part of a long con. He hadn't lied yet, and his advice wasn't even bad advice. It was actually probably the best course of action. But it introduced an element of control, one that wouldn't have been there before. "Make sure Squad 4 is active and present. You'll need them. Make sure at least6 Captains are around, not on missions. Any less, and I can guarantee that Soul Society will burn. Arm any defense systems you can, if you can do so without arousing suspicion."

He took a pause, allowing this to sink in. "I think that's enough information to justify me asking one more question. Taiho, how much do you trust Sozen Kuchiki?" And his voice, there was a note of triumph in it. There was an element of 'I know something you don't' in his face. And his aura almost told a story on it's own. A story of the man who pushed Soul Society towards his control and it's demise.

Of course, maybe Ryunosuke was lying, and baiting her. It was in his nature. But there was something about him that was just so absolutely sure of himself, that Taiho would be unable to tell one way or the other.

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

(OOC: Crappy post is crappy. I make no excuses.
EDIT: Forgot to ask a question XD.)

IC: Taiho waited, inhumanly still and quiet, as Ryunosuke spoke, letting him deliver his warnings, his advice, his subtle jabs and mock concern without interruption. There was quite a lot of information to be digested and dissected, and Taiho took her time mulling over every last drop of it. Immediately, the fact that the Noveno Espada was included struck her as odd; for such a large scale attack, why not merely send the top four Espada? Was this a part of the strategy, or did it hint at dissonance among the ranks? Were Kuroi and Adalo absent from the attack by design, or had they refused to participate? If the goal truly was to merely to inflict pain and suffering, why not send the next strongest Espada after Quinta? Although there was no obvious answer to these questions, they still struck Taiho as being important, and worthy of further research.

Regardless, the fact that the Noveno was involved greatly reduced the scale of the attack in question. Based on the Espada’s own internal power structure and hierarchy, the bottom three Espada were hardly threats on their own. In effect, the attack consisted of three powerful opponents, plus a fourth who was tagging along. That in and of itself made the coming assault seem much more manageable. Of course, that’s not to say it would be a cake walk; just that it was much less imposing than, say, the top four Espada coming to invade the Seireitei.

”Of course, I will disseminate this information without arousing suspicion.” Taiho responded to Ryunosuke’s “hamfisted” remark. Afterword, however, a small smile spread across her face, concealed by the high collar of her trench coat. It was momentary, and never reflected in her eyes, but it was there. What was she smiling about? What had struck her as so amusing? Simply put, it was Ryunosuke’s suggestion that they avoid fighting each other. Naturally, Taiho had already decided to avoid killing him if possible, simply to preserve her contact inside Las Noches. However, the notion that they two of them not battling would have no impact on the fight struck Taiho as amusing. Maybe it was just her psychosis talking, but it seemed like a dizzyingly naïve way of thinking.

If Ryunosuke had any intellect at all, he would know that the most powerful of the Captains, save perhaps the Captain Commander, was Sozen Kuchiki. He had defeated Kuroi on at least one occasion that Taiho was aware of, and had fought well against the Primera, Adalo De-Mona. It was common knowledge that Sozen was a force to be reckoned with, a true monster of the battlefield. However, if Ryunosuke thought that Sozen was the only Captain of such power, he was sorely mistaken. Taiho was understood to be the only Captain who could come close to beating Sozen in a fight. The fact was, anyone who fought Taiho would most likely not survive, unless they were significantly stronger than Sozen himself. Based on the data that had been collected thus far on the forces of Las Noches, no such being existed in Hueco Mundo, except for Soken Kouhai himself. The only possible exception was Ryunosuke; no data on him currently existed, but based on Taiho’s readings of his Reiatsu Strength, he could almost certainly stand against her. If he truly was the Cuatra Espada, as he claimed, and he was involved in this fight, then he would likely be the only Espada present whom Taiho couldn’t simple run over with her power. And, if he refused to fight her, that would leave her free to demolish his allies at her leisure. Of course, he would likely slaughter between two and four Captains before he was eventually halted, but Taiho considered this to be an acceptable lose.

That was the thing that Ryunosuke hadn’t caught on to yet. Taiho was, for lack of a better word, insane. Oh, she was perfectly able to act like a normal, rational person, but underneath her cold façade was a psychotic monster. Taiho had no compunctions against sacrificing her allies in order to protect Soul Society, and so the arrangement Ryunosuke proposed actually suited her fine. The two of them would avoid each other, thus allowing one another to run amok among the other allies. Rose, being the Captain of Squad 4, along with a group three or so other Captains, would engage Ryunosuke, likely dying while killing, or at least incapacitating him. In the meantime, the greatest threat on the Espada’s side would be unable to stop Taiho and one or two other Captains from picking off the other three Espada one by one. It made mathematical sense, as well. Although more Captains were liable to die than Espada, the resulting power balance, nine Captains left alive vs six Espada, would leave Soul Society in a stronger position. Even if Ryunosuke survived, Soul Society would break even. It was simple, really. Risky, and not at all guaranteed to succeed, but very much worth it if it panned out.

Taiho paused again as Ryunosuke asked his next question. Sozen, huh? She had known him quite a while, and while she admitted to have being…unavailable for many hundreds of years during his ascent to the throne, she was still one of the few who could say they really understood him. Maybe not like Azumi had, but it was still something. She knew he was ruthless, and would do anything to protect his family, Soul Society, and the greater good, in that order. She knew he was devious, manipulative and cunning. She didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him. Of course, she wasn’t going to say as much. ”Sozen? I trust him implicitly. I know that no matter what, I can always trust him…to be a monster.” She paused, letting this sink in, before asking softly "Why does my trust in Sozen Kuchiki interest you?"

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

(OOC: Post is short, I think we're almost done here)

Taiho seemed to take Ryunosuke's advice quite well, which was good. Regardless of the success or lack thereof of the invasion, Ryunosuke wasn't interested in fighting Taiho. And that was, quite simply, because she was the second strongest Captain in Soul Society. No, he wasn't scared. He could take her, to be honest. At least 6 times out of 10, he'd beat her. He'd run the calculations in his head over and over again until he was sure he was right. Fighting Taiho wouldn't be a losing fight.

So why didn't he want to fight her? Simple, he needed to keep her alive. Because if anyone had the political, social, and combat sway to stand up to Sozen Kuchiki, it would be Taiho Kasumi'Oji. And for Ryunosuke's plan to go right, he needed someone in Soul Society standing up to Sozen at any opportunity. Although he doubted that Taiho would come along quick, she'd come along in time. Especially once she started learning more about the head of the Kuchiki family. Especially once she knew him like Ryunosuke did.

"Well, as long as you're viewing Sozen Kuchiki as a monster, I think we're on the same page." She trusted him, of course, because she was the Kuroi to Sozen's Adalo. They were in a subtle power struggle, but there was a respect intrinsic in their relationship. The comparison worked quite well. Taiho was calm, collected, and a monster, and Sozen was absolutely insane. At least, as far as Ryunosuke could tell. He hadn't talked to the man yet, maybe he was more Kuroi than expected.

"I ask because..." He hesitated. Did he reveal his hand now? She wasn't mentally prepped for it, and if he fucked it up, this could all go south. She didn't trust him yet, so she might brush it off. But she seemed to be capable of reading people, so lying, or withholding information, would be unwise. Fuck. He aligned his mind, took a deep breath. He resolved himself to tell the truth, and without further hesitation spoke:

"I think Sozen Kuchiki is playing both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, forcing them to fight and keep each other just weak enough that he can continue controlling both of them totally. I have some evidence, but not much. However, both sides would likely execute me for treason if I started leaking the info, so I can't. All I can say is that I'm willing to bet that Sozen orchestrated the genocide of the Shiba family, using Takashi Kuchiki as a proxy." He bit his lip slightly.

"I believe it's appropriate to end our meeting here. I gave you some information that you need, and you've given me a few things to consider myself. Are you still interested in a more long term alliance, particularly with regard to criminal activity and information trade?"

[Taihō Kasumi’Oji]

Taihō remained silent and unmoving as Ryunosuke explained to her his thoughts and opinions on Sozen Kuchiki. He told her that Sozen was manipulating both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo for his own gain. He told her that Sozen had orchestrated the slaughter of the Shiba clan. He spoke in the tone of a man who honestly believed what he said, and Taihō felt no deception in his words or his soul as he spoke. He felt that his words were true. However, if he was expecting surprise, or doubt, or anything at all from Taihō following his explanation, he would be sorely disappointed. Her expression afterword was just as calm and neutral as always. There was no shock or surprise in Taihō’s expression. No doubt, uncertainty, or anger. There was nothing, save perhaps a faint air of boredom.

”I see.” She responded casually, as if Ryunosuke had just informed her that he was getting his house painted. Her voice was soft, like the last breath of death itself, but contained not one drop of emotion. ”I had suspected as much for quite some time. The fact that my suspicions are shared by others is comforting, but not surprising. He’s always been…resourceful. I would expect someone like him to make the most of any situation, including the war between our two worlds.”

If Ryunosuke had yet to realize he had made a mistake, it would probably be dawning on him right about now. He had hoped that information would turn Taihō against Sozen, but in truth it changed nothing about her intentions for the Kuchiki Head. Whatever his plans may be, and regardless of Taihō’s personal opinions on him were, Sozen’s mere presence made Soul Society safer. This was a fact, and as a woman of science, facts were very important to Taihō. And in the face of facts, even Taihō’s deepest desires were discarded.

Taihō was more than untrusting of Sozen. She didn’t just dislike him. She despised Sozen. She hated him because his family was stronger than hers. She hated him because she had been forced to barter with him to regain her land. She hated him because he always had another trick up his sleeve. More than anything, she hated him because her sister was so fond of him. She wanted to kill Sozen Kuchiki. No, not kill him. She wanted to peel off his flesh, strip every piece of meat from his bones, dissect everything that was left, before finally pulling his brain out of his skull and putting in a jar to keep alive and conscious so she could entertain herself by telling him exactly how loudly he had screamed while in her care. She didn’t want to kill Sozen Kuchiki. She wanted to violate him, rip him apart, destroy him utterly and stand over his ruined remains and laugh. Ryunosuke telling her that Sozen was a manipulative bastard did nothing to change this desire. If anything, it made her giggle a little bit on the inside.

Of course, none of these thoughts made it to the surface. Layers of icy cold psychosis deadened the insane ravings of her subconscious mind, to the point where all anyone would sense from her was a mild dislike for Sozen Kuchiki. Logically speaking, no matter how despicable he was, it was better to keep him around than it was to dispose of him. And so, the facts of the situation outweighed Taihō’s own personal desires. She would always strive to make her family stronger than Sozen’s, and there would always be clashes between the two heads, political spars and plots to weaken one another. Maybe one day, the time would come for the two of them to finally have it out, and put the matter to rest once and for all. But for the time being, there was no logical reason to fight Sozen. Because in the end, they both wanted the same thing: to protect their families. And the only way for either of them to keep their families safe from harm was to destroy the enemies of Soul Society. Taihō knew this, and even if he didn’t consciously admit it, Sozen did as well. After all, he was a monster. The most dangerous, horrific kind of monster that ever lived: A monster that would do absolutely anything to protect the ones he loved. Taihō knew this because, truthfully, she was no different.

”I am always interested in new business arrangements, so long as they are profitable. Hueco Mundo is vast market, and it would be foolish to let petty things like war interfere with commerce.” She paused a moment, letting that sink in before continuing, ”I will supply you with resources and information from Soul Society, so long as you provide the same from Hueco Mundo. If this arrangement ceases to be useful for you, feel free to terminate it; I assure you, I will do the same, if I ever feel our agreement has run its course.”. With that, feeling that the meeting was ended, she turned, as if to walk away, but stopped abruptly, adding almost as an afterthought, ”I feel it would be best to conduct further negotiations in the Land of the Living; it is safely away from the eyes of both the Gotei Thirteen and Las Noches, and should serve to mitigate the risk of our being discovered. Do not bother searching for the individual who told you how to find me; I’ve already liquidated him.” The cold, mechanical usage of the term “liquidate” to describe killing a person should have raised several red flags in Ryunosuke’s mind, but Taihō didn’t seem to notice how inappropriate the word was. To her, it was natural to kill someone who would divulge information to a potential enemy, regardless of the circumstances. When one removed something that was hindering their business, the most commonly used term was, in fact, liquidation. It seemed proper to Taihō to use the term to describe what she had done, especially considering that she had buried the man in a bucket.

She continued on smoothly, without giving Ryunosuke a chance to voice any concerns over her word choice, ”If you wish to speak with me, you need speak my name in any major human city. My associates are everywhere; they will hear you, and they will notify me at once. Unless…you have an alternative suggestion?”

(OOC: Impractical and convoluted method of communication purely so I can include the line “she buried him in a bucket” is impractical and convoluted. And totally worth it XD)

[Ryunosuke Hamada]

Well, that wasn't the reaction he'd been hoping for. But she didn't kill him in response to him saying that, so Ryunosuke found it hard to complain. And she supported his claim with her own suspicions. But again, like a monster, like Kuroi, she didn't react. She called him resourceful for such atrocities. And beyond that, she didn't comment. But regardless, he'd put the seed in her mind. And if the rest of Soul Society turned on Sozen, he doubted that she would stop them.

Beyond that, his interest in sabotaging Sozen was diminished. After all, dude was terrifying enough to tangle with Adalo and Kuroi, putting him firmly out of Ryunosuke's paygrade. All Ryunosuke could do was get the good word out about the grand conspiracy, and hope that the others would do the rest. So, onto business. "The details of that agreement work for me. If you need to contact me, I don't have a special way of being contacted, so I trust that you're resourceful enough to succeed in that if you try." With a grin, he turned around, and began to walk down the tunnel, towards the Garganta he'd created in Serientei. 


(OOC: I think we can call this scene. Get hyped for the Invasion!)